Past against Present
by SuddenJami
Summary: Cloud has joined the Smash community but he feels like he doesn't belong there, an outcast. He refuses to make any friends and every day, his memories haunt him. Ike decides to help him in his own way, but ends up falling for the ex-solider. (Ike x Cloud)
1. Chapter 1

**Cloud x Ike? Yeah, it's a strange pairing, but I think they'd go well together. I've played Cloud's game before, but I decided to go with the Advent Children version and there are some Final Fantasy 7 spoilers here (careful!). This is most likely going to be three chapters and I'll upload the second one soon. I hope you enjoy!**

It was warm inside the mansion, giving off a pleasant and protective feeling that enveloped the ex-soldier. He wore his black cloak and wrapped his neck with a long red scarf. Trotting down a fleet of stairs, he found the main entrance and placed his gloved hand over the dark wooden door. He gave it a push and was blinded by white light. He squinted his eyes until his vision became adjusted and he walked out of the large building. The sun had just rise and winter was nearing it's end. The thick layers of snow had begun to melt and flowers buds emerged from the bushes around the mansion's walkway.

Cloud wanted to go into the cold to clear his head. Another nightmare. Even after all these years, it still haunted him. The slaughter and aflame of his city, when Sephiroth went insane, they were all still so vivid. He was covered in sweat when he awoke and his heart was beating so fast he felt it in his throat. When he looked out his dorm's window, it was dark but he didn't care. He just wanted to get out.

Now that he was outside, the small sheet of snow looked beautiful over the grass, sidewalks, but he hated how cold it was. Shame it was like a rose with thorns. He exhaled and a haze escaped from his mouth. His surroundings were quiet, there was no sound except the occasional gust of wind. When he took his first steps away from the mansion, the snow beneath his feet crunched and he looked forward. He didn't know where he was going, but he let his legs lead the way.

As he was walking around, thinking when he received his invitation, the ex-soldier honestly didn't expect to be greeted by so many fighters. They were all surprised that he was another large sword user but they all thought his glowing light blue eyes were beautiful. If only they knew his past. However, he didn't come to make friends and he never planned to. He just wanted to be a lone wolf, there, only because he was invited.

Eventually, he arrived at a lake and there was a wooden dock that reached out into the water. As the sun slowly rose, the light began to reflect from the water and it glistened. Cloud walked onto the wooden platform to sit down on the edge of it. He took off his sword that was attached to his back and placed it on his lap as he gazed out into the water, wallowing in his thoughts. It was nice to be in a different atmosphere, where happiness was a common thing, but he had this strange feeling that he didn't belong there to begin with. There wasn't anyone he knew and soon enough after a few days, he felt homesick for Midgar. It was nice that the Smash community added a stage that was similar to it, but it obviously wasn't the same. Although he lived in the slums, he missed it, only because Tifa was there along with Barret and his other companions.

As he sat there, he didn't keep track of time and so when the sun rose above the horizon, he got up and walked back to a place he felt would never become his home.

By the time he arrived at the mansion, everyone was awake and doing their own thing. He closed the door quietly and contemplated if he should go back to his room or to have some food. He sighed because he had to eat eventually and decided to go to the large dining room. When he entered, they were a few number of people eating but he ignored that and looked for the cook room.

He found the steel door and upon entering, there were empty plates that had been eaten out of. Suspicious, Cloud observed his surroundings when he heard something being crunched on. He crouched a bit, holding the handle of his sword on his back in preparation for whatever was inside the room. He snuck around when he found the large refrigerator shaking and when he quickly opened it, there was a pink marshmallow gobbling up all the food. Confused, Cloud stared and watch it ate until the thing was aware someone was behind him. It turned around, crumbs around its cheeks and said, "Poyo?"

The ex-soldier honestly didn't know what to do in this situation so he stood there. Was it a fighter? He already saw so many different kinds of fighters that he wouldn't be surprised if this was one as well. Because it ate so much, he assumed it's powers was eating opponents.

The round blob removed itself from the fridge and took something out. Cloud watched it's moments carefully in case it was going to attack. Instead, it held a cartridge of bacon and sausages. The creature closed the door and walked over to a bottom shelf. It got a black frying pan out and placed it on the stove. The pink thing opened the pack and when it placed the meat onto the metal, it began to sizzle.

Eventually, as Cloud watched it cook, the smell made his stomach grumble and he continued to wait. When the food was done, it slowly moved it away from the flame on the stove and slid the food down onto a plate. It applied pepper and handed the food to him. It smiled and said, "Poyo poyo!"

Surprised that it actually cooked for him, Cloud took the food from it and nodded his head in thankfulness. As he left the cafeteria, he hoped he wouldn't run into anyone that wanted to talk to him. That was the least thing he wanted when his stomach was hungry and he had food within his grasp. To his favor, he reached his room but oddly, someone was leaning on it. It was a large man with blue hair, holding a large golden sword. What was worse was that Cloud had forgotten the man's name so if he was there to speak to him, he was out of luck. The ex-soldier approached the door and asked, "You're leaning on my door. Move." He used a harsh tone because he really wasn't in the mood and once again, he wasn't here to make friends.

"Well, aren't you rude." The man said as he lifted himself from the white door. "I'm here to ask you for a challenge. There are plenty of sword users here, but I can tell that you're different."

Cloud turned his head away. "Not interested. Now move."

The blue haired mercenary clicked his tongue and walked away from both the door. He placed his hand on the soldier's shoulder and said, "I saw you leave early this morning. What happened?"

Cloud glared at him. He was sure that there wasn't anyone around when he awoke. "Its none of your concern. Don't stick your nose into someone else's life."

"Then how about this; we have a battle. If I win, you have to tell me why, but if you win, then I won't bug you anymore."

"Persistent asshole. Fine."

When the man left, Cloud entered his room only to be even more annoyed because his food had gone cold. When he took a bite, it was delicious even if the heat had gone and it made his mouth water. His stomach asked for more and so he finished it very quickly, leaving himself satisfied hunger wise. Now that he was in his room, he removed his red scarf, the buster sword on his back, and sat on his bed. He stared down onto the floor, but his eyes wouldn't focus because he was lost in thought. So many people around him that he loved and cherished, gone. He never wanted something like that to happen again so it was best for him to always keep his distance between everyone. It was probably that man's plan to become friends with him. He didn't want to take that chance. Although, he couldn't deny the other sword user seemed more mature than the others so he probably could take him seriously. Eventually, he laid down and because he woke up so early, he already started to feel drowsy. He closed his eyes, but forced himself not to fall asleep in fear of another nightmare.

After what felt like half an hour, he heard knocking on his door and he stood up. Behind it, someone spoke. "Cloud, you're being called to battle."

The soldier cussed under his breath and opened the door. Behind it was a man in a black cloak with white hair. "I'm pretty sure this is our first time meeting." The guy said with a small smile. "I'm Robin. Anyway, you have a match coming up soon. Your opponent is Ike."

Ike? It probably was that bothersome man he met an hour ago. Cloud went back into his room to pick up his buster sword and attached it to his back. He left his room and locked it behind him. He followed Robin so he could lead the way and when he arrived, the place was crowded with fighters. It wasn't his first time battling, but it certainly was with Ike.

The ex-soldier spawned on a castle's fortress while the building itself in the background was in clash against another army. Looking at the fires that blazed around, his head grew light as his eyes were filled with red flames. This wasn't anything compared to his past, so why was it torturing him so much? It wasn't even his memory to be exact. It was...

Soon, Cloud heard the sound of a sword slammed onto the ground. Looking away from the fire, Ike was in front of him taking a battle position. The mercenary held his sword in front of him and had a fierce look.

It was a good look in his eyes that pumped Cloud a bit. His own glowing blue eyes filled with Mako energy were bright and he got into his own battle position. The buster sword shined a green light and now there was silence.

3...2...1...GO!

By his aggressive nature, Cloud ran up to Ike and swung his large sword horizontally only to miss. The mercenary dodged his attack by jumping and waved his sword behind him. The ex-soldier's response wasn't fast enough and when he tried to evade, the end of the Ragnell slashed at his back. He grunted and was slightly launched, but he quickly got back on his feet. He allowed his blade to glow a bit and launched a blade beam. The mercenary didn't expect a sudden projectile and was hit against his arm. He was pushed back away from Cloud and to close the gap, he quick drawed back into the center of the stage. He jumped forward and slashed his sword vertically. Cloud turned his body sideways and allowed the Ragnell to glide against his buster sword, sparks flying. He kicked Ike in the ribs as a counter and followed by a swing of his sword against his leg.

Cloud jumped back to give himself some distance from the mercenary. This was his third battle and so far, it was going pretty well for him. The other people he fought were Mega Man and Ryu, both that brought up a challenge, but Ike so far was fairly easy. He was aware both of them had large swords, but because of his Mako energy, he was able to move much faster. The ex-soldier had the temptation to snicker but decided to hold it back. The main reason of this battle was so he could hide his past from everyone. He didn't want anyone knowing, giving him sympathy or other useless shit. Cloud _wanted_ to remain the mysterious figure he was.

Suddenly, blue light caught his attention and he looked at Ike. The blade of Ragnell was surrounded by blue flames. Just when he was adjusted to the flames in the background, his memories once again flashed in his mind and his light-headedness came back, stronger than before. He crouched down and felt the breakfast he had this morning rush to his throat. He placed his gloved hand over his mouth to stop it from coming it out, but to no avail, he threw up. His vision grew blurry and he fell to the floor; everything was black and the last thing he heard was Ike's voice.


	2. Chapter 2

**Second chapter is here! I'm working on the final one and I hope you guys continue to enjoy!**

Cloud opened his eyes and within his vision were large canyons. Everything was blurry so was it a dream? He looked around but nothing was clear and he couldn't move his body. All he able to see was a black figure of a person, but he couldn't make out his face. The man turned around, waved at him, and began walking away from the soldier, disappearing from sight. A heavy feeling came over him and when he was able to move his hand to prevent the man from leaving, it was already too late.

He opened his eyes only to be blinded by light coming from a ceiling. On his cheeks were traces of water and he was laying on a hospital bed. He lifted himself up slowly and recalled that he had a dream. Thinking about it, his chest felt tight and tears streamed down his face.

Clenching the sheets on his bed, he whimpered, "Zack...Why did you have to...Zack…!"

After about an hour, someone finally entered the room and it appeared to be a short man with a mustache wearing a doctor's coat. Cloud didn't bother leaving the bed because he didn't have anything worth doing inside this boring fucking mansion. If he had got up, his only options were to train or to go back into his room to do nothing. The blonde ex-soldier watched the man fill up what looked like IV bags and when the doctor turned around, he had noticed Cloud was awake.

"Ah, finally awake are ya?" The short man spoke. "My name is Dr. Mario and you're in the nursing room after getting sick during a match. Its been a few hours that you've been asleep. Do you know why you suddenly passed out?"

Cloud knew the reason, but he lied to make things simpler. "Must've been food poisoning."

"Hm...I don't think so." Dr. Mario walked up to Cloud, placed a chair near the bed, and sat. "Food poisoning takes twenty to twenty-four hours for your stomach to realize something is wrong and within the span you ate based on Kirby, its not an answer. Now, I want you to stop lying to me right now and tell the truth. Its my job to find out my patient's problem."

He turned his face away because it was obvious there was nothing the man could do about his memories so he remained silent, keeping his lips tightly shut.

The short man sighed and got off from the chair. "If you refuse to tell me now, fine. But if I see it happening again, I won't let you go. I'm going to ask you to stay a little while longer and if everything looks good, you can leave."

The doctor left and Cloud continued to daze off. He was only there for a week so far and he was absolutely tired of it. Sure he hadn't seen everything the place had to offer, but he was sure none of it would catch his interest. He decided to close his eyes to let his mind and body rest. That is, until he heard footsteps. The sounds were different from the doctor's and more the sound of metal. It turned out to be a very familiar voice.

"Hey doc, has Cloud woken up yet?" It was Ike.

Dr Mario replied with, "Yep. Feel free to speak to him."

Cloud sighed and sat up, preparing himself whatever the mercenary was going to say. In a few moments, he saw his curtains pushed away and he saw the blue haired swordsman enter.

"Are you doing okay?" Ike asked. "Man, you scared the heck out of me."

The soldier didn't want to talk to him, but how else was he going to pass the time to get out of this hell hole? "Yeah, just felt sick."

"Oh, I see. During the battle I thought I had done something and this entire time I was feeling guilty, that it was my fault..."

Cloud was making eye contact with the mercenary but turned his head away. "You blamed yourself? That's the worst thing you could've done."

Baffled, Ike leaned in closer to the patient on the bed. "Huh? How?"

The blonde swordsman clenched his hands. "Forget I said anything..."

"Cloud, what do you mean that's the worst thing I could've done?"

His throat tightened and water built up at the corner of his eyes. "So much uncontrollable pain. Once you blame yourself, sometimes...you can never go back to apologize and that burden remains with you always..." At that point, tears streamed down his cheeks. "Shit..."

Ike sat on the edge of the bed, surprised by the abrupt sadness Cloud showed. He wrapped his arm around his shoulder and said in a soft tone, "Its alright, let it out. Sometimes we cry because...we've been strong for too long."

The soldier didn't accept Ike's way of comfort, but he didn't deny it either. Instead, he sat there, feeling the other man's warmth wrapped around him and tried to control his emotions. Because of his stubbornness, once he gained his strength back, he pushed Ike's arm away and got up from the bed. However, because he got up too quickly after laying down so much, his head grew dizzy and he stumbled a bit. Ike was there to catch him, but Cloud moved his hands away to go up to the doctor.

He asked, "Where's my sword? I'm leaving."

"This quickly?" Dr. Mario said. "Well, if you really want. I won't stop you, but I ask that Ike shall accompany you until you reach your dorm."

The short man entered what looked like a closet, and motioned Cloud to come pick up his buster sword. He attached it to his back and when he left the nursing room, Ike was right behind him.

As he was walking, it pissed the hell out of him that the nursery and his room were on opposite ends of the mansion. He predicted it was going to take him ten minutes, just to reach his dorm. Surprisingly as he went there, Ike hadn't said anything. He was probably laughing at his pathetic state he'd seen and it made Cloud want to reach his room sooner. Right when he reached a flight of stairs, he heard someone behind him. He turned around to see Ike talking to another blue haired sword wielder.

"Hey Ike, can I get a favor?"

Ike looked back at Cloud then looked at the prince in front of him. "Uh, sorry Marth. I need to do something real quick and I'll come talk to you later."

"Oh, okay."

When the person walked off, Cloud continued up and jokingly asked, "Who was that? Your girlfriend?"

A tint of blush emerged on the mercenary's face. "Huh? Marth is a guy! I mean, yeah he's feminine and has a lot of female feature...What the hell am I saying?!"

For the first time inside the mansion, Cloud smiled. "Seems like you got a thing for the guy."

"S-Shut up! I don't!"

When they arrived on the second floor, the soldier's head grew dizzy once again and he placed his hand over his forehead. He stopped walking and began to stagger. "Crap...My head's in circles..."

"Cloud!" Ike yelled out as he ran up assist the blonde swordsman. "The doctor was right, you shouldn't have left so quickly."

"I can handle myself. I'm not going back…"

"Don't you understand the situation you're in? ...Fine, if you're not going to see Dr. Mario again, then I will take care of you."

The soldier turned around from the sudden response. "Huh?"

"Come on, lets get to your room."

Ike took Cloud to his room and locked the door behind him. He made the soldier sit on his bed and asked, "Remove your clothes."

He scowled. "Why?"

The mercenary began scavenging inside the man's closet. "Don't you have pajamas or anything? It's better to wear something comfortable when you're not feeling well. ...Man, all you have are uniforms."

Cloud leaned back a bit. "I'm honestly more comfortable in my uniforms. It got burned into me anyways…"

"Hm...Maybe I can ask someone for a pair."

"I don't need one."

The mercenary smiled. "Just try them. If you end up really hating them, then I won't make you wear one."

Ike left the room and the soldier laid down on his bed. Why was he so caring? Was it built in his nature? Was everyone inside the mansion the same? He had many questions, but to answer them, he'd have to explore, something he didn't really want to do.

Sooner than he had expected, Ike came in with a pair and said, "So...No one inside the mansion has close measurements to your size, so maybe mine will be fine?"

He handed the pair to Cloud and he stared at the plain blue clothing. He removed the buster sword's sheath on his back and the armor on his left shoulder. He lifted his shirt from the bottom up, showing off his physique. His muscles exposed strength and his skin was a nice beige color.

Ike looked at his figure and commented, "Woah, you are actually a lot smaller than what I was expecting. Because you wield such a large sword, I assumed that you'd need muscles to hold it. I guess not...?"

Cloud slipped the shirt on and it was way to big for him. He lifted his arm and the sleeve went past his hand along with the clothing slipping from his shoulders to have his chest revealed. "So obviously this doesn't fit." Cloud looked back and at Ike and saw his face blush. "Hey, you getting sick? Your face is red."

The mercenary turned his head away. "N-No, I'm fine. Its just..."

"Just say it already."

"...You look cute."

Dumbfounded, Cloud took a few seconds to process what the other man in his room said. "...Huh? How the hell…?"

"You look so small..."

The blonde soldier removed the blue pajama shirt and walked up to Ike. He pressured the other man against the wall, but even if their eyes were almost aligned, Ike was still the taller one. He slammed his forearm a few inches away from the mercenary's head. "I'm not feminine like your other friend. I can kick your ass and everyone else's in this pathetic mansion."

Speechless, Ike stared at Cloud's glowing blue eyes and he placed his hand on the others bare chest to push him off. "I know and I recognize your strength...But at least answer me something, why do your eyes glow? And how do you wield such a large sword?"

The soldier sighed and sat back on his bed. He really didn't feel like explaining it, but if it would get Ike off his back, he decided to give him a brief explanation. "Its Mako energy, the liquefied form of our planet's lifestream. Long ago, if you join the army called SOLDIER and reach a certain class, they shower you Mako to become stronger, more powerful. These glowing eyes and strength are a curse in a way, yet this energy has helped and destroyed me in so many different ways..."

The blue haired swordsman sat next to Cloud and said, "You know while you have your past and reasons, everyone here does as well. So many of us, just like you, have suffered and I can understand that you don't want to speak about it, but sometimes, it won't hurt if you talk to someone about it once in a while. I'm not forcing you, but getting it off your chest will help."

Cloud moved over to the center of the bed and allowed himself to lie down. "Even if I say something to someone, it won't help anything. It'll always be there, the present me can't do anything to fix the past."

"Well, then how about I help you?"

The soldier lifted his head slightly and looked at the mercenary. "Go ahead and try. ...You know, this has been bugging me for a while, but why are you so nice to me? Are you like this with everyone?"

Ike who was originally making eye contact averted his gaze. "I'm like this with everyone but to me..." Cloud saw a blush creep up to his cheeks. "You're special."

Still unaware, Cloud asked, "How? If anything, I keep treating you like an asshole. You shouldn't really be fond of me."

"I know but I keep getting this urge to protect you."

"Protect me? If anything, I'm stronger than you."

Ike couldn't handle it anymore so he got up and pinned Cloud to the bed. His hands tightly wrapped around his wrists and his face was a few inches away from the soldier's. He whispered, "How dense can you be? I keep hinting this and that, but you still don't understand. Dumbass...I'm in love with you! When I heard of your inclusion, I was happy for a newcomer but when I first saw you...I couldn't stop thinking about you! You were always depressed and you never talked with anyone. I wanted to change that, but in the process, I fell for you..."

Cloud honestly didn't know what to do in this situation. Sure, plenty of girls liked him, but none of them ever confessed to him, but here, his first time was a guy. It had to be a joke. He asked as he tried to wiggle out of Ike's grip, "You're kidding, right?"

The mercenary leaned in closer and said, "No, and I'll prove it to you."

Before Cloud could do or say anything, he felt a pair of lips pressed against his. His body froze and he didn't know what to do as Ike gently kissed him. Uncontrollably, his heart began to beat faster as the kiss became more passionate and his mind was growing wild. His body wanted more, but he drove his foot into the mercenary's stomach to release himself from the other's weight.

Ike grunted, removing himself from the soldier and getting off the bed. Cloud breathed heavily for air, his face flushed. He stared at the blue haired mercenary and turned his head away. All he could mutter was, "Please...leave."


	3. Chapter 3

**Final Chapter! Thanks for reading, R & R's are appreciated!**

He didn't look at Ike, but he heard the door close and footsteps slowly fading away. He placed the back of his hand against his lips and he tried to calm the beating in his chest. He couldn't believe it, Ike wasn't kidding. A sense of guilt overtook him as he let out a sigh and he felt even worse when he just realized he was getting used to the mercenary's company. In a way, he felt he could have admired him as a fighter or a training buddy, but nothing ever goes as planned. If Ike hadn't confessed, Cloud would actually considering becoming friends with him, even though that never was his intention. Now, his brain was in muddles, confused, and he sat on his bed, staring through the window. He got up, picked up his black lined shirt along with the buster sword's sheath to put them back on and left his room to go out to train. Even though he still felt a little bit sick, perhaps moving his sword would clear his mind and help him think.

The blonde ex-soldier went down to the first floor, with his gloved hands inside his pockets and wondered how he was going to interact with Ike once again. He treated him horribly, never accepting his help nor kindness, but he still tried to take care of him. However, the most important part was, how was he gonna handle the fact that the man was in love with him? He never swung for men, straight as a stick, and he was sure that he still had feelings for Tifa. Although the atmosphere between him and Ike was going to be different, Cloud wanted to fix it somehow including his shitty attitude towards everyone else.

After walking a bit, he reached the training room and there was barely anyone inside. He saw a yellow mouse firing electric shots at a dummy, a boy with brown hair and wings practicing his swordsmanship, and someone he recognized, Marth. Cloud watched him swing his sword gracefully and he _still_ had a hard time telling he was a man. He approached the prince and asked, "Hey, Marth right? If you're training right now, would you mind a partner?"

He stopped swinging his sword to catch a breather and replied, "Sure, I wouldn't mind. I'm actually surprised that you're talking to me. You never talk to anyone inside this place. Although, you seem kinda close with Ike."

Cloud took a battle position with the buster sword held in front of him and Marth responded by doing the same. "I guess but to be honest, he kinda gets on my nerves sometimes. Are you friends with him?"

Marth dashed forward to pierce the Falchion and Cloud dodged by moving to the side. "Yeah. He's really nice and a cool dude."

The blonde ex-soldier grabbed the hilt of the sword along with its tip and pushed it against Marth who blocked it. "Is he nice with everyone?"

He allowed the Falchion glide against the blade and moved the buster sword away. "Its in his nature. He had to lead an army back in his old days and he needed to build bonds with his soldiers."

Cloud re-sheathed his sword and moved his gaze toward the floor. "Damn, I didn't know. That's pretty impressive. He doesn't seem like that type."

Marth got out of his battle position and went over to a bench to pick a towel. "He's been through a lot, but its probably better to hear all this from him instead of me. Why are you interested in learning more about him?"

"No reason. Just curious..."

"You sure? Your facing is telling me you're hiding something."

Cloud lifted his head to make eye contact with the prince. "Is it really that obvious?"

"While you always generally look depressed, you give off this strange aura and it gives off a different message. In a strange way, it tells me how you feel."

It must've been the Mako energy inside him. "Does Ike happen to be 'clingy'?"

The blue haired swordsman tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"How often does he….Nevermind."

Why was he asking Marth this? He knew the answer but was afraid to accept it. Ike was in love with him. While he had a conversation going, he decided to ask him some things. "Mind showing me around the mansion? I kinda need to know this place because who knows how long I'll be here. So far, I've been fucking hating it."

"Oh? Sure, I can show you places where you might change your opinion. I think it'll be more fun with Ike around though. I don't consider myself very entertaining."

He was given the opportunity to be with Ike again and hopefully talk it through him, but he knew the atmosphere around them was going to be awkward. Cloud didn't want to take that chance but he couldn't run away from him forever and he hated how he was acting like a shy little girl. "If you want."

"Is later today fine? I'll come over to your room when Ike comes too."

The ex-soldier nodded and when Marth left, he continued to practice swinging his sword. He couldn't let this chance slip from his grasp and he had to let Ike know he wasn't interested in him, but still wanted to be friends with him. That is, if Ike would consider him one.

After about an hour, Cloud was exhausted after training and was covered in sweat. He left the training room and sauntered back to his dorm. Marth's style of fighting, he wouldn't call it unique, but it certainly was different. He thought it was cool that so many fighters in this mansion had so many different types and it fascinated him. He was honestly tired of fighting nothing but monsters that would rarely put up a challenge. He would love to go all out with his summons and materia, but the so called owner of the mansion, Master Hand, prevented him from doing so. Well, at least when he had the Smash Ball, he could release his full potential with Omnislash. When he thought about it, he wondered what Ike's sealed strength was.

He realized he thought of the mercenary and shook his head. He'd been thinking about him too much and it was beginning to pester him. Cloud let out a sigh and as he reached his room, he saw a pink blob running about. From what he remembered, the thing was named Kirby, the one who made him food the other day.

Cloud yelled out behind him, "Kirby!"

The marshmallow turned around. "Poyo?"

The ex-soldier walked up to him and crouched down to pat his head. "I didn't give you a proper thank you when you made me food. I appreciate it. It was really good."

Kirby smiled and jumped a few times before he ran off. When he left, Cloud went into his room to see outside his window that it was already night. He entered his bathroom to turn on the faucet and allow water to stream down. He cupped his hands and when it was filled with water, he splashed it against his face. He repeated the process a few times and turned the handle. Allowing the water drip from his chin, he reached over to get a towel that hanged and rubbed his face. Because it was still winter, nightfall would come much sooner but was pretty late and he wondered when Marth was going to come over with…

Cloud cussed under his breath and laid down on his bed. Right now, he should take the opportunity to relax until he had to go through a large tour that who knows how long would take. He stared at the ceiling in a daze and his eyes wouldn't focus. He felt his eyelids drooping, he was certainly tired after a long day that didn't have any stops. By later, Marth probably meant tomorrow so he allowed his body to rest, still afraid to fall asleep.

Suddenly, he heard a knock on his door and he got up slowly. Before getting of the bed, his door opened and Ike came in. Alone.

"Cloud?" He called out.

He wasn't mentally prepared and his heart started to beat quickly out of a strange instinct of fear. He jumped from his bed and subconsciously back away. Where was Marth?

"Marth had to do something real quick and told me to come up and get you."

His told himself to calm down but to no avail, he was wordless.

"Cloud? Are you okay?"

Why was he acting like a rabbit afraid of a human? He wanted Ike to become his friends but when he remembered what the mercenary did, he struggled. He had to ignore that the man in front of him was in love with him. He had to face it.

Cloud nodded and murmured out, "Right, sorry."

He walked towards the door and right as he was about to go through it, he felt something grasp his wrist. He turned his head to see it was the blue haired swordsman. "Listen...I'm sorry about what I did. I just wanna let you know its not gonna happen again. But I meant what I said."

He felt his face grow hot and he turned his head away. "Don't treat me like a girl…! Now let's go, we're keeping Marth waiting."

Neither of them said anything as they went down to the first floor. Ike led Cloud into the large living room where the fireplace was lit and a few fighters relaxed on the couches. He saw the mercenary walk up to the flame and sat down. The ex-soldier followed him and stood next to him, staring into the fire.

Ike leaned back a bit and said, "Marth told us to wait here until he comes."

Cloud sighed and sat down the red rug. Great, now what was he supposed to do? Wait until the prince came in this atmosphere? He decided to make the best of it and asked Ike, "Marth told me you led an army. Is it true?"

He turned his head to face the blonde swordsman, surprised that he spoke to him. He answered, "It originally was my father's but...he was killed and asked me to take over for him."

Everyone here had terrible memories, it wasn't just him and he felt a small sense of belonging. "How did he die? If you don't mind me asking."

"My father, Greil, was killed by the Black Knight, also known as Zelgius. In the end, I got revenge and killed him."

"I see." Was all Cloud could say.

"So why did you leave so early that one day? The reason I knew was because I couldn't sleep that night and happened to see you leave the mansion."

The blonde swordsman brought his knees to his chest. "I had a nightmare...of a memory that isn't even mine."

Ike slouched over. "What do you mean?"

Cloud's gaze moved from the fire to the floor. "I-"

"Hey guys!"

Both of them looked behind to see Marth with a small smile. "Cloud, ready for the tour?"

Cloud immediately got up and nodded. He couldn't believe it; he almost told Ike who he really was. What about him made so comfortable to speak about himself? He shook his head slightly and motioned to Ike to come with him. The mercenary got up and followed them. There was only silence between them as Marth led the way.

The ex-soldier passed by many halls and empty large rooms but ended at a tall green shaded door. Marth opened it and Cloud looked through to see a beach with palm trees and colorful buildings near the water.

"This is my personal favorite place, Delfino Plaza!" Marth said as he walked onto the sand. "Its also a stage, but I personally like coming here to relax."

Ike looked around. "Nice choice Marth. I've been on the stage multiple times, but it is better to be here without fighting."

Cloud followed Marth and walked on the beach. He held his hand above his eyes to cover the sun's rays. It was night back at the mansion so why was it sunny here? "This place is a bit too bright for my liking...So, are we swimming?"

"Its your choice." Ike said as he walked under a wooden patio covering and sat on an outdoor chair. "I prefer the scenery and food."

Marth pouted. "Ike, you're always in for the food. Instead, you get into the water with me?"

Cloud saw the prince pull on the mercenary's arm and it began to feel intolerable. Why was the sight of them being close a bother to him? It was obvious that Marth knew more about Ike because they've been together longer. He grew agitated and got off the beach to look around in the plaza.

As he was walking around, Cloud couldn't deny that the place was extravagant and beautiful. The water reflected the sun's rays and the air felt clear. There were fruits everywhere and strange plant human creatures selling them. The houses were built nicely and as he continued to look at the water, his urge to swim grew more. He stopped his exploration when he was surrounded by palm trees and on both sides of him were vast bell towers. He stripped of his shirt along with his buster sword and dove into the sea. He allowed his body to become adjusted to the cold and swam back up. He laid on his back and stared at the blue sky as he floated. He felt at peace and allowed to close his eyes. If it helped him clear his thoughts, he wouldn't mind coming back to this resort.

Cloud drifted along, water rippling around him as he kicked gradually with the occasional sound of a seagull in the distance. He didn't bother checking how far he moved from the shore but he did wonder what the other two swordsmen were doing. He lifted himself and decided to go back in case he lost track of time. He looked back at the island and saw Ike waiting there.

Confused, Cloud swam back up to the shore and Ike held out his hand for the ex-soldier to grab. Now that he was up close, Cloud noticed Ike was wearing swim shorts, his skin bare and showing off his muscles.

Cloud took the mercenary's hand and got back up. "Is something wrong? ...And where's Marth?"

Ike chuckled. "No and you ask a lot of questions. Marth got sleepy and fell asleep under a parasol. I got changed to go swimming but I was curious as to what you were doing and decided to look for you. You swim in your uniform?"

"I don't have a pair." Cloud looked at the proof of Ike's strength and couldn't help but be impressed. "So how much of that sword of yours weighs?"

"The Ragnell? Not entirely sure cause I never weighed it myself. Why?"

"Apparently its a two handed sword but I see you holding it with one. I'd like to try wielding it myself."

Ike didn't respond and Cloud simply stared at the pained expression in front of him. He didn't know what to do or what Ike was thinking and turned his head away. "Sorry if I said something wrong."

Ike shook his head lightly. "No its alright. I'll let you try when we get back."

Cloud saw the mercenary smile but he could tell he was forcing it out. He felt annoyed, but knew that now was the best fucking time to say it. "Listen, about the other day, I'll forgive you. I don't like the atmosphere around us. I...wanna fix it."

"Cloud...thank you."

The ex-soldier looked back at the ocean and said, "I'm gonna continue swimming."

Right as he began walking towards it, he saw the mercenary jump in and the force caused the water to splash against Cloud. Ike laughed and yelled, "Come in!"

"Asshole...You're gonna regret doing that!"

Cloud followed the mercenary and entered the ocean. He slammed his arm into the water and pushed waves into Ike.

The blue haired swordsman lifted his arms a bit to block the waves. "You wanna fight? Bring it!"

The two exchanged water for what seemed like a few minutes but an hour had passed and they went back onto the shore breathing heavily. The sun had begun to set on the island and the sky turned a red-orange with the water shining yellow shades. Together, the two swordsmen sat down and stared into the sea.

"Do you ever give up?" Ike commented, still the trying to catch his breath.

"Y-You're tired? That was nothing." Cloud said he laid on his back but his heaving chest was obvious that he was exhausted as well.

"You know…"

The ex-soldier soldier looked at Ike. "What?"

He grinned and said, "You look a lot better when you smile."

Cloud felt a blush creep up to his cheeks and stuttered, "D-Dumbass, what the hell are you saying?!"

"It's true though. It's so much better than that frown you always have. When we were playing in the water, seeing you smile...It honestly made my heart flutter."

It was then that Cloud was aware how close Ike was to him and sat up. He looked down to his side to see the mercenary's hand an inch away from his own. He wasn't thinking rationally and his heart was going nuts. His face grew hotter by the second as he subconsciously moved closer.

The moment, it must've carried him because before he knew it, he gently grabbed Ike by the back of his head and pulled him into a kiss. He kept his eyes closed in fear of what the other's expression was but as the mercenary began returning his kiss, he couldn't deny that he actually enjoyed it. Ike was passionate, his lips were soft, but Cloud wanted more.

He removed his lips from Ike's, only to be aware that he was about to go further and stopped himself. After a few seconds, he realized the mistake he had done. But was it a mistake if he liked it? Right now, he couldn't make eye contact with the mercenary. The thumping in his chest wasn't getting slower and his cheeks were scorching. It felt way too good to be true.

Without thinking, he said, "Shit, sorry Ike. I don't know what came...over me…"

There was no response from the blue haired swordsman.

He shook his head. "M-My mind is in shambles. I-I'm gonna go back."

The ex-soldier stood up and when he was about to reach for his sword, Ike grabbed his wrist and said, "Hold on." Cloud simply stared at the ground and waited for what the man in front of him was going to say. "Why...did you kiss me?"

He could feel his shoulders tremble and managed to say, "I-I don't know why. I wanted to be your friend originally, but I...can't stop thinking about you. I've been thinking more about you than my stupid fucking memories and I don't know the reason for that either!"

He felt Ike remove his hand and placed it under his chin to lift his face up. Cloud looked deep into those sapphire eyes and heard Ike say, "Cloud...Are you in love with me?"

That couldn't be right yet he felt jealous when Marth was so close to him. He was in love with Tifa yet whenever he was with Ike, he felt even more comfortable and enjoyed his presence. He was strong, compassionate; anything that a human needed, Ike had it. Was it true then? Had he fallen for him?

His face flushed even more and he moved his gaze away. "Apparently so..."

Ike leaned in closer and whispered in a hungry tone, "So if I kiss you right now, you won't stop me?"

His heart hammered even faster hearing the mercenary's voice so lustful. Cloud said to him, "No…You won me over."

Ike quickly pulled him in, their chests touching, and Cloud felt him press his lips against his. This time, Ike was in control and the pace was slower, but he was tenderly kissing him. Now that he accepted how he truly felt, he couldn't deny that right now was the best he ever felt since coming to the mansion.

Cloud broke the kiss to place his hand on Ike's cheek to stroke his face. He let out a small laugh and said, "Guess I gotta say it properly, but don't expect to hear it again. I love you, Ike."

Ike wrapped his arms around Cloud and said, "I thought the day would never come. Thank you, Cloud."

He returned the embrace, but the blonde swordsman looked over Ike's shoulder to see night had already fallen on the island. He removed himself from the hug and looked up at the sky to see thousands of stars shimmering. "Looks like we lost track of time, something I was afraid of. Lets go back."

Ike nodded and started followed Cloud until he stopped. "I feel like I'm forgetting something..."

They heard a voice from the distance. "Ike, why didn't you wake me up?" It was Marth who slowly approached them, rubbing his eyes. "If its night here then its daytime already there. We need to get going."

Ike apologized. "Sorry Marth!"

The prince began walking back to the door that led to the Smash community and Cloud felt like he pulled an all-nighter. He didn't have anything to do in the mansion so he decided to spend it sleeping knowing that he'll no longer have nightmares. He picked up his belongs and as he was following Marth, Ike was next to him. They entered the large building and together, they all went to the second floor because that's where all their dorms were. Ike's room came first and he bid his farewell for now. Then Cloud's room came second.

The ex-soldier took out the key in his pocket and opened the door. He looked at Marth and said, "See you later."

The prince nodded and yawned. "Yep and we'll finish the tour later...Oh, and congratulations."

Cloud entered his room to sit on his bed and wondered what Marth meant by...

Shit.


End file.
